Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Ring for sharing his time.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. As Deputy Ring said, the legislation is a little like a curate's egg, as a number of good changes have been made, for which I congratulate the Minister. However, I support Deputy Ring's call for special recognition for stay at home spouses who, in many cases, have stayed at home for most of their working lives. They receive no recognition for their work, even though they contribute significantly to society. They act as carers, workers in the home, house minders, accountants and business managers without any recognition whatsoever. It is high time they were recognised and I fully subscribe to the Deputy's call.

Deputy Dennehy mentioned how far ahead of the British system we are but that is not an accurate observation. There was a time in this country when all payments payable from the UK, especially old age pension payments, were topped up by 25% or more on the basis of a means test. That has ceased to be the case over the years because the pension system there is weather proofed at this stage.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan, referred to deprivation. Poverty comes in many shapes and forms and if the Minister visits schools in the areas that have suffered social and economic deprivation throughout the country he will see poverty. One can see deprivation in families and parents as they collect children from school. If ever there was a time to address this issue it is surely now, when a spare €7 billion is available of which Ministers were unaware. This raises questions regarding the type of accounting we engage in nowadays.

If I were the Minister for Social and Family Affairs I would not rest on my laurels as there are areas of serious deprivation in this city and in every town and village in the country. Children are going to school in the morning without breakfast, despite efforts in schools and at community level. This issue has not been addressed by the Department of Social Welfare.

Housing quality represents another aspect of deprivation. If the Minister lived in the conditions facing many children and parents, when our coffers are overflowing with money, would he be able to give his best? I do not think so. There are countless instances of children and parents struggling to survive in appalling conditions and every Member of this House should be aware of this. Deputy Ring mentioned the efforts of local authorities to improve the situation but there is a great deal of work to be done in this regard and the Minister should give it some serious consideration.

This may not seem altogether relevant, but deprivation and poverty start in the area of education. Given the class sizes that prevail in many parts of the country, is it possible that children emerging from such circumstances will have a fair chance in society and in the workplace? The answer, simply, is no. Class sizes are appalling and are as high as 40 in places. This was not previously the case in what were termed "good areas", but that is no longer so. The impact on society in the future will be colossal and the effects will be felt for a very long time.

The Minister mentioned pensions but I do not agree with his outlook in this regard. Provision for future pension needs is well within the ambit of the Minister's Department. The population of Ireland is growing and many young people will soon be making contributions, despite all we hear of the aging population. There has been a large influx of people who now pay tax and make insurance contributions and it is no secret that the same mechanism used for special savings incentive accounts, SSIAs, can be applied to produce adequate funding to meet our future pension needs. Comparisons with Germany, France and other countries are pointless as they have population problems that do not apply here.

I welcome the child dependant allowance but I do not think €22 to €25 per week will be of much use to a widow, widower or member of a single parent family. Regarding the fuel allowance, the increases in gas and electricity prices this year were appalling and without justification. I have had countless queries from constituents on how this issue will develop and I am sure the same is the case for every Member of the House, including the Minister. The increases in the fuel allowance do not cover the increases in the prices of gas and electricity.

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